The Nevada poker scene has been relatively quiet for the past few weeks. Las Vegas hasn’t hosted any major poker tournaments, and no major promotions have affected online poker traffic in any significant ways.
Some industry talk centers around the upcoming G2E (Global Gaming Expo) conference, which is scheduled for the very end of September at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, owned by none other than online gaming enemy Sheldon Adelson.
Cash game traffic is down for WSOP.com NV and Ultimate Poker, but Real Gaming is starting to accumulate a few players due to its massive $100K promotion. The low numbers were expected after the WSOP, but it seems that the downswing continues for the two major sites.
G2E Sponsored by Adelson Will be Interesting
Many gaming industry professionals get excited about G2E, what with its panel discussions, networking opportunities, and product displays. And the 2014 conference will focus more than ever before on the Internet gaming industry as it is now and where it may go in the future.
Some of the highlights of G2E will include Internet gaming conferences hosted by everyone from attorneys, consultants, and chief executives of companies like CAMS, iGaming Capital, Foxwoods Interactive, and the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
Everyone will have their eyes and ears open for the keynote speakers, though. Steve Wynn will give the opening speech on September 30, and Adelson himself will give the closing on October 2. While everyone knows where Adelson stands but wonders what gems will come out of his mouth, Wynn has flip-flopped on the issue of online gaming, and conference goers will want to hear if he mentions the Internet at all.
WSOP.com Nevada Suffers Lowest Numbers in Three Months
According to the latest PokerScout numbers, WSOP.com in Nevada cash game traffic, per a seven-day average, fell again over the past week, this time from 102 to 96. The fall wasn’t significant in itself, but added to the fall from the previous week adds up to a nearly 13 percent downswing in just two weeks.
As the global online poker market begins to rise from the seasonal summer decline, WSOP.com NV has dropped instead. Ultimate Poker dropped slightly as well, if you must know.
WSOP.com has hope for rising numbers in the future, however. Recent approvals and submissions for upgrades and site improvements, including a mobile app, is merely awaiting the sign-off from the gaming commission and then the implementation process. The company is also waiting for more liquidity when the compact with Delaware takes shape and the 888 site with Treasure Island launches in Nevada.
Real Gaming Up, as Some is Better than Nothing
South Point’s Real Gaming online poker site has spent months with virtually no traffic at all. PokerScout generally recorded zero players on the site, while the occasional singular player would drop by for a freeroll.
However, its recent promotion involving a $100K giveaway over the course of the next year, including monthly cash prizes for top players on the leaderboards has sparked more interest. Sure, peak game traffic shows a whopping five players and the seven-day average remains close to one, but the leaderboard on the site shows that players have been dropping by.
Just a week or two into the new promotion, there were 15 players on the medium-stakes leaderboard and 30 on the small-stakes list. Those numbers have increased to 18 for the medium tables and 41 for the small. Most of those players have not yet qualified for the prizes because they haven’t played the minimum amount of time on the site, but the mere fact that players are taking note and trying it out can be construed as progress.
Real Gaming is showing, albeit slowly, that it has the potential to be a competitor in the small market.
